Cargo Pilot - Rebellion of One
by Picklebert
Summary: Dakota Mava left the alliance years ago, but after a desperate call for help from Mon Mothma herself, he was left with no choice.
1. Chapter 1: Cheap Gas

Chapter 1

Cheap Gas

"Bespin is a lousy colony anyway..." Dakota mumbled. It had been the third time the local freight officials had turned down his fuel shipment due to "impurities". This time a fee was incurred, and a tag placed on his ships identification number that would hover over him for the next 3 months. Credits were scarce as it is, and Dakota started to think more and more about returning to the Rebellion. "You know, they could really use me!" Dakota lied to himself. The Rebellion had no need for yet another cargo pilot. As Dakota's weathered glove reached for the ships transmitter panel, a hose in the back room erupted with an explosive boom followed by a high-pitched hiss that made Dakota wince in pain. "Damn it!" he shouted, as he reached for his repair kit. This hadn't been the first malfunction of this particular trip.

Dakota's ship, the _Raven,_ was a modified UT-60D U-Wing Troop Transport. Dakota had purchased it from the Rebellion for an "auction block" price after the S-foil articulation servomotor assembly had become inoperable. Luckily, Dakota knew a guy and had the _Raven_ back to normal in no time. The ship was later modified with an upgraded hyper-drive, improved weapons suite, lower cabin and living space, and a large external cargo bay. Before leaving the rebellion, the _Raven_ had seen extensive action in the outer rim providing much-needed equipment to Rebel troops on the front lines. That service in harsh conditions during wartime really took its toll on the _Raven_ , but the ship was still largely dependable.

The _Raven_ was now on course for Arkanis in the outer rim territories. While previously under Imperial control, the planet was now undergoing liberation. Dakota has gotten a tip on the situation from a reputable source he'd met a few days back at a Rebel spaceport. Cheap gas would be welcome there, no problem. The patched gas line was holding, and Dakota stepped back into the cockpit with a sigh of relief. The Rebellion was off of his mind, for now, as the _Raven_ came out of hyperspace above Arkanis with a bright blue flash. Dakota punched in the landing coordinates into the nav computer and the ship began its descent.

Once inside the atmosphere, and having received clearance to land, Dakota took the controls and landed the _Raven_ manually behind Rebel lines. As the landing gear extended, a large dust cloud was kicked out from under the ship and settled on the edges of the landing pad. A number of Rebel troops tasked with guarding the pad were absorbed by the cloud, and Dakota chuckled as they waved their hands in front of them in an attempt to shield themselves. The cabin door opened slowly, allowing the pressure differential to equalize. Dakota stepped out and stretched as the dim sunlight warmed his face. Arkanis was typically rainy, with an average of 2 or 3 days of heavy downpour a week. Dakota thought this anomaly in the weather pattern was a bad omen… just as anything out of the ordinary was. Dakota looked across the pad to the entrance of Rebel Base _Kilo_ , where a Rebellion diplomat was headed his way.

"My name is Salaman Tweed" the diplomat said as he outstretched a weary hand. "What brings you to Arkanis?"

Dakota shook Tweed's hand firmly. "The name's Dakota. I heard your troops could use some gas. Those speeders don't run on their own, now do they, sir?"

Tweed wore a tired expression on his face, but his eyes seem to light up after hearing the good news. "Oh, why yes! Yes! We are low on our reserves after doubling the scout patrols in the area." He signaled to a nearby soldier and the young man began offloading the fuel shipment. "Whatever you charge, the Rebellion will gladly pay".

Dakota did not question the gesture but charged a fair price. The purchase of his entire shipment would be more than enough credits to get him back on his feet. There was no sense in robbing the good guys.

The two shared some small talk before Tweed paid the amount in full. "We appre-" Tweed was about to send Dakota on his way when a deep thud sounded from across the compound. Rebel soldiers were charging to their battle stations as alarms blared from every corner of the base. "I think it's time you leave" Tweed muttered under his breath. Dakota nodded and made a run for the landing pad.

As the large metallic doors of Rebel Base _Kilo_ swung open to reveal the landing pad, Dakota caught the attention of two Imperial stormtroopers. The two opened fire on Dakota, unleashing a stream of hot laser fire that would have killed him if he hadn't taken cover behind a nearby rations crate. Dakota removed his DH-17 blaster from its chest harness and picked off the two stormtroopers after a few missed shots. Dakota entered the _Raven_ and shut the cabin door behind him. Laser fire from nearby Imperial troops struck the ship's hull as Dakota brought the systems online. The four Incom 4J.7 fusial thrust engines roared to life as laser fire continued to strike the _Raven's_ hull over the blare of alarms in the background.

"Come on… come on…" Dakota muttered as the _Raven's_ thrust meter slowly built up the necessary power for an atmospheric takeoff. The laser fire was methodical at this point, sure to break through the _Raven's_ armor any second. After what seemed like a lifetime, the thrust meter finally reached its peak. Without hesitation, Dakota shoved the four throttles forward and the _Raven_ leaped off the landing pad with incredible force, throwing the nearby Imperials on their backs. It shook violently as Dakota tried to hold it steady. He peeled away from the ground and the vibrant blue of Arkanis' atmosphere slowly dimmed to the familiar black of space. With a hefty amount of credits onboard, Dakota smiled knowing that the _Raven_ had yet again delivered him to safety. "That was a close one. I hate surprises..." he muttered softly while wiping the sweat from his brow. As he coasted through empty space, Dakota stepped into the cabin to gather his thoughts where a small flashing light alerted him of an incoming transmission – Origin: Yavin IV.

To Be Continued


	2. Chapter 2: Welcome Party

Chapter 2

Welcome Party

Dakota stared at the flashing light, emitting an orange glow every few seconds. His mood had settled. Fighting the urge to view the message, Dakota shut the receiver off. He breathed heavy in the stale air of the _Raven's_ cabin, filled with the stench of hot metal from the encounter on Arkanis. "What could they want with me?" he whispered to himself as he turned towards the _Raven's_ cold storage crate. He opened the crate and let the wall of icy air hit him in the face as he reached for an apple. He sat back down in the captain's chair, slowly twirling in circles as he calmly bit into the apple. Dakota had made it a habit to slow down for a while after near-death experiences.

Dakota finished his apple and sat in silence for a few moments. He had a choice to make. Answer the Rebellion's call, or take on another cargo shipment. The Rebellion had always payed well, and right now, that was all that really mattered to him. On top of that, the _Raven_ was long overdue for some repairs and even some upgrades, and the credits he had now wouldn't cover a fraction of the cost. Dakota rolled his eyes as he leaned forward with a grunt, "I can't believe I'm doing this."

He walked to the receiver panel and turned it back on with a satisfying click. The lonely orange light reappeared, resuming its dance across the panel. Dakota hesitated. He thought back to why he left in the first place. A few minutes passed until he decided to play the transmission. A hologram opened, and the figure of a woman began to speak. He recognized her – it was Mon Mothma, leader of the Alliance!

"Dakota Mava, my name is Mon Mothma. We met briefly only once before, as I am sure you remember".

Dakota took a step back, surprised that he could not recall when he had met her. The transmission continued.

"I am familiar with your story, Dakota, and I see reason why you left the Alliance".

Dakota felt a burning sensation rise in his chest. He didn't like to dwell on the subject, and shook his head to clear his thoughts.

"That said… we need you back. I'll get straight to the point.

The second Death Star has been destroyed, Dakota. The Emperor is dead, and his Empire is on the run. In an effort to weaken our forces, several Alliance leaders have been assassinated. The remainder of the leadership, myself included, have determined that we need not be intimidated."

Dakota's eyes widened as he stumbled back and sat on a crate. He couldn't believe it. He had heard of plans to destroy the second Death Star before he left, but never thought that the Alliance would succeed. "They – They actually did it… after everything that we lost…" he remarked.

"Our job has only begun, and we are in desperate need of more rebels like yourself. You and the _Raven_ could do some really good work… change lives. Report to the Alliance fleet at the attached coordinates if you are willing. If not, we will consider you an enemy." Mothma's figure transitioned to a wall of blue static, and Dakota switched the receiver off.

He was still in awe from the news. "The Empire is in chaos…" he trailed off. For the entirety of Dakota's life, the Empire was the strongest force in the galaxy. Now that wasn't the case. He punched in the Alliance's coordinates and paused for a moment with his hand on the hyperspace lever. "They'll be meeting soon… I'd hate to miss anything" he mused. Dakota slowly pushed the hyper drive lever forward as not to overload the core, and the _Raven_ smoothly fell into hyperspace with a satisfying thump.

As the blue glow of hyperspace lit the shadows on Dakota's creased face, he turned towards the cabin behind him. It had been years since he left the Alliance, and he was about to jump back in. "I've got no idea what to expect", he exclaimed. He reached for an old bag that held his previous identification badge along with some other relics. He read the faded print along the top of the badge aloud: "Captain Dakota Mava – UT-60D U-Wing "The _Raven_ "". He rubbed some dust away from the surface of his badge with the corner of his shirt. "Wow. I – uh – was so… _young_ ". He tucked the badge away in his back pocket almost instinctively and returned to the cockpit with a slight grin on his face.

The _Raven_ fell out of hyperspace and was surrounded by the Alliance's largest capital ships. The capital ships stood tall, even in the emptiness of space, dwarfing the _Raven's_ size _._ It was an impressive sight, no doubt, but Dakota couldn't help but worry that so much of the Rebellion was in one place. "I'm gonna go ahead and guess I'm in the right place…". As Dakota approached the fleet, a transmission made its way through to the _Raven._

"U-Wing, modified, code name: _Raven_. Identify yourself".

Dakota was startled by the demand, and stuttered into the transmitter: "Uh-uh- yes. Mava, Dakota Mava. Pilot of the _Raven._ I was sent by her highness, Mon Mothma".

A few moments passed and Dakota grew anxious in the silence beneath the enormous firepower of the Rebel fleet. "They must know I'm coming" he said softly, trying to reassure himself.

The silence finally broke: "Everything checks out sir, Mon Mothma is awaiting you aboard the bridge of the _Peacemaker._ Please make your way to the hangar bay and Rebel officers will escort you to her highness".

Dakota took a slow breath to calm his racing heart. He was once again unfamiliar with the professionalism of the Rebellion, just as he was when he first joined. Dakota grabbed the _Raven's_ control yoke and gently steered towards the _Peacemaker,_ an enormous Mon Calamari MC80 Star Cruiser. The _Peacemaker_ was an imposing ship, with a massive silhouette that was spotted with powerful turbolasers. Escorts of smaller frigates clung to its sides similar to the whale calves of Dakota's home world. As the _Peacemaker_ grew larger in the _Raven's_ windscreen, Dakota could finally make out where the hangar bay was. Buried under a large battery of turbo lasers toward the rear of the ship was a thin strip of light blue light where a deflector shield protected the _Peacemaker's_ fighter squadrons. Dakota made small adjustments to ensure a safe approach.

Dakota landed in the center of the hangar bay and stepped outside the _Raven_. His boots left a faint trail of dust against the white gloss of the hangar's floor. Two Rebellion officers approached Dakota from behind and placed arresting cuffs on his wrists. "Hey now! What's all this about? I am here under order of her highness Mon Mothma!

"We are too buddy" The first officer said firmly, tugging on his arm.

"Come with us please, your cooperation will make this go a lot smoother" The second officer chimed in.

"Release me! You two are gonna regret this!" Dakota struggled to escape but it was no use. The officers dragged him across the hangar bay towards the central elevator. Dakota turned his head to see other rebels prying open the cabin doors of the _Raven_ to begin a search. Dakota tried to yell but nothing would come out. His shoulder stung and his vision began to fade. He had been tranquilized, injected with something. His muscles relaxed and vision was completely gone. His last memory would be of him being loaded onto the elevator at gunpoint surrounded by additional guards. This wasn't the welcome party he had anticipated.

To Be Continued.


End file.
